|
|
Diversity in Kid's Literature
November 2026
|
|
|
Picture Books and Early Readers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chapter Books & Graphic Novels
|
|
|
|
Folk Remedy: Book 2: The Secret of the Night Parade
by Jem Yoshioka
Maple and her friends journey deeper into the mysterious world of y kai, where one person's secrets could change everything. A magical middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Spirited Away and Inuyasha. In Folk Remedy: The Secret of the Night Parade (Book 2), Maple finds herself in the Hidden City of yokai, the supernatural creatures of Japan. Surrounded by danger, she and her friends Ember, Sky, and Peach must navigate the city's colorful characters, seeking allies and avoiding enemies. Maple must grapple with how the hidden world is changing her and whether she even wants to return to her old life. The secrets behind her mysterious dreams and Ember's true identity will test who she can trust.
|
|
|
|
Adia Kelbara and the Dark Between
by Isi Hendrix
The thrilling finale to the fast-paced, witty, and bighearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy that began with Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans, about a twelve-year-old apprentice in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom.Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil Power-hungry demon Olark has been banished to the realm of the dead...but Adia Kelbara's troubles are far from over.When a boy with godlike powers escapes a hidden prison and appears in Zaria, Adia's world begins to unravel...literally. The powers he carries were stolen from Adia's mentor, the Alusi Ginikawa, and now the once-powerful goddess is fading from existence. In an effort to help Gini, Adia uncovers a secret project turning humans into vessels for divine power and makes a desperate deal with the dark shamanic mastermind behind the experiments--her own Aunt Ife. But in trying to save someone she loves, Adia sets in motion a chain of events that endangers all of Zaria, unleashing a future where Olark is free once more--and stronger than ever. To set things right, Adia must journey to the mythical land of Imo Mmiri and harness the power of a god. But claiming this power means confronting the same corruption that once destroyed her family--and risking her friends' lives and her own soul to mend a fractured world.
|
|
|
|
The Pet Rock Ransom: A Graphic Novel
by Akeem S. Roberts
An eight-year-old boy solves mysteries with the ghost of his former class pet, a naked mole rat, in this funny supernatural graphic novel series for early readers. It's Field Day at Creek Elementary, but Carter can't focus on the relay race or water balloon toss because Lester's pet rock Rocky is missing Carter and Mr. Pebbles are on the case in this third installment of the Class Pet Ghost Detective series. Don't miss the other books in the series: What Happened to the Naked Mole Rat? and Milkshake the Disappearing Milk Snake.
|
|
|
|
Phoebe Ogawa and the Art of Not Caring
by Sara Truuvert
An emotional and deeply funny middle-grade novel about our public and private personas, and how sometimes it's worth letting others see your true self--no matter how embarrassing.12-year-old Phoebe Ogawa wants everyone at school to know that she does not care what they think. She definitely does not care about the fact that they're still laughing about her heartfelt performance at last year's talent show. Most of all, though, she tries to prove to everyone that she isn't struggling as much as she actually is with her Grandma Yumi's passing. To her surprise, her family discovers that Yumi, a world-renowned pop star, left Phoebe a mysterious note that hints at her last song, which has been seemingly lost for decades. Phoebe decides to find it and secretly pass it off as her own to finally show everyone that she is not someone to be laughed at. But as she starts delving deeper into Grandma Yumi's past, Phoebe starts to realize that maybe everyone feels vulnerable from time to time, and that some people might be worth letting in and showing your true, even embarrassingly heartfelt self.
|
|
|
|
David's Diary #3: The Big Bully
by Bunmi Laditan
David can't wait to show everyone at school what he got for Christmas! It's the iRobotic 3005--a calculator, digital video and voice recorder, and electronic encyclopedia packed with more than 50,000 fun facts!But things take a turn when the new kid, Greg Putnam, sets his eyes on David's cherished new gift. Will David find a way to deal with Greg's bullying on his own? Or will being Greg's number-one target keep David trembling in fear?
|
|
|
|
Park Survival: Lost in Alaska
by Vera Starbard
Backcountry meets Megan E. Freeman's Alone in this survival/adventure middle grade about a boy who must rediscover his Indigenous culture while adventuring in Glacier Bay National Park with a team of loyal dogs. Emmett wants nothing more than to just stay in one place -- finish school with the same friends, live in the same house, sleep in the same bed. His mother's work means that they're always moving around. But this time is different. This time, she's promised not to move them anymore. But when she gets a once-in-a-lifetime job working as a Tlingit clan-house caretaker in Glacier Bay National Park, Emmett is forced to leave his familiar home (again) and enter a whole new world, a world full of trees, breathtaking mountains, snow bluffs, and giant lakes -- lots of pups. He doesn't know much about his mother's small hometown of Hoonah, Alaska, or about the Tlingit culture she was born into. And when they arrive, he meets Kaasteen, a cousin he's never known and who seems to have infinitely more knowledge about their culture than he does. She's lived in Alaska all her life, and her family has lived beside Glacier Bay National Park for generations. She talks to animals, has way more dogs than Emmett cares to count, and even speaks a language that he doesn't understand. Could she be any more annoying? Emmett would love to go back to his old friends and old home, and he's happy to let Kaasteen hear about it. But when the two get into an argument that leads to Kaasteen getting lost in the park, Emmett will have to utilize the skills he's learned from his family to save her. Will they be enough?
|
|
|
|
Mixed Signals: A Graphic Novel (Mixed Feelings #2): Volume 2
by Sara Amini
In this funny, feel-good follow-up to Mixed Feelings, Sara struggles to find her place because she's constantly caught between TWO spaces: childhood and adulthood, drama club and volleyball, friends and a crush. Perfect for fans of The Tryout, The New Girl: First Crush, and Pizza Face.Getting thrown for a loop What is the best part of seventh grade?A: The cutest boy in school messages you on AIM.B: You've made the volleyball team and nailed your drama club audition.C: Your parents recognize how responsible you are and treat you like an adult.D: SIKE None of this turns out the way you expect it to Seventh grade started out strong, but now Sara is struggling... Because of her volleyball schedule, she may not be cast in the play. And due to her commitment to drama club, she could be benched during the big game. To make matters worse, her crush only seems to talk to her when he needs help in math class. And to top it off, her parents pick and choose when to treat her like a kid or a grown-up.Sara's finding herself caught in a strange in-between space. Is she an actress or an athlete? A crush or a calculator? An adolescent or an adult? With so many mixed signals, will Sara ever be able to find her place?In this feel-good follow-up to Mixed Feelings, being a teenage girl has never been so hilarious and harrowing at the same time.
|
|
|
|
Stained
by Rhonda Dechambeau
In this stunning novel in verse, a boy watches his town grow bitterly divided from behind the lens of his camera... until he finds the courage to stand up for what's right. A story of bravery, allyship, and risks worth taking. Twelve-year-old Ulysses is new in town. Between his unusual name and the port-wine stain splashed across his face, he's hardly looking for more attention. Uly is happiest hidden behind the lens of a camera, where he can obscure his appearance while taking in the world around him. Luckily, his middle school needs a photographer for their mural project, and Uly gets to watch (and snap) as students come together to paint a local artist's design. The mural is perfect: powerful words, images from nature, and even a painting mistake transformed into a tiny rainbow. Except that tiny rainbow becomes a GIANT problem. Murals are supposed to bring communities together. What does it say about our community, that our mural must be destroyed over something as innocent as a rainbow?
|
|
|
|
|
|